1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to thin, substantially flat packaged units including a thin, substantially flat utensil in a protective sheath, and preferably to such a unit in which the utensil includes a substance that is interactable with a fluid. In addition, this invention relates to a method of making packaged units of the above described type, and most preferably, to a simple and economical mass production method for making a plurality of packaged units.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Representative prior art utensils including a substance which is interactable with a fluid are disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 655,333 (Christensen) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,252,803 (Belasco), 3,312,555 (Rossi et al), 3,469,997 (Rossi et al), 3,154,418 (Lovell et al), 2,857,908 (Cornfield), 2,425,945 (Leach) and 3,035,925 (Jackson).
The Canadian Pat. No. (655,333) and the two Rossi et al Pat. Nos. (3,312,555 and 3,469,997) disclose utensils in which the substance that is interactable with a fluid is a dissolvable sweetening agent. The utensil disclosed in the Canadian patent is in the form of a spoon having a lower spatulate portion which is coated with the sweetening agent, and this spatulate portion can be covered by a thin protective wrapper which is sealed along marginal ends thereof. In the Rossi et al patents the sweetening agent is in the form of a block of sugar which is anchored to a handle, and the entire utensil is sealed within a conventional wrapper.
The wrappers for the utensils disclosed in the Canadian patent and the Rossi et al patents are formed solely of thin flexible materials. These wrappers do not provide a significant rigidifying function to protect the utensil from becoming deformed or otherwise damaged. Apparently the utensils envisioned in the Canadian patent and the two Rossi et al patents are considered to be sufficiently stiff so as to not require additional support from a protective wrapper.
From a process standpoint, the packaged units disclosed in the Canadian patent and the Rossi et al patents require the formation of the coated utensils completely separate and apart from the protective wrappers. Fairly sophisticated, low speed equipment is required to form packaged units in this manner, since the utensil and the wrapping material must be handled separately in a manner to insure the proper positioning of the utensil with respect to the wrapper.
The Belasco U.S. Pat. No. (3,252,803) discloses several different forms of utensil which can be provided with various different substances that are interactable with a fluid. The coatings disclosed in the Belasco patent are edible soluble substances in the form of separate solid particles, and can include such materials as instant food, instant beverages, drugs and medicines. Also, Belasco indicates that the surface to which the edible substances are applied may be made of different materials, such as paper, plastic, metal foil, glass, porcelain or wood. In addition, Belasco indicates that the surfaces can be in various forms including stirrers, spatulas, flat sheets, etc. Although Belasco indicates that the coated utensils provide a convenient and economical means by which the edible substances can be packaged and sold to the consuming public, he is completely silent with respect to a specific manner of packaging the utensils.
The Lovell et al U.S. Pat. No. (3,154,418) discloses utensils of the type including three-dimensional compartments for receiving substances which are interactable with fluids. Utensils including three-dimensional compartments of the type disclosed in the Lovell et al patent are generally thicker than, and occupy more space than the utensils contemplated by the instant invention. Openings into the compartment are sealed by a protective layer; generally in the form of a flexible, highly pliable sheet. This layer does not provide a significant supportive function for the utensil. The utensils disclosed in the Lovell et al patent are mass produced in a continuous operation; however, that operation is not concerned with providing a protective sheath that cooperates with a utensil in the manner contemplated by the present invention.
The patents to Leach U.S. Pat. No. (2,425,945) and Cornfield U.S. Pat. No. (2,857,908) relate to tongue depressors which include a confection, such as hard candy. These utensils are generally quite stiff and do not require additional support from a protective wrapper.
The Jackson U.S. Pat. No. (3,035,925) relates to packaged confectionary, such as lollipops, in which a plurality of separate units are included within a single protective member which is configured like a pack of matches. The packaged unit disclosed in Jackson is somewhat nonanalogous to the instant invention in which the packaged units include individual utensils which are separately supported within individual protective sheaths.
The packaged units disclosed in the patents to Welch U.S. Pat. No. (2,401,534), Hogan U.S. Pat. No. (2,993,313) and Leibow U.S. Pat. No. (2,812,577) relate to packaged units including uncoated utensils. The packaged units disclosed in the Welch and Hogan patents include conventional protective wrappers formed solely from thin flexible sheet materials. Such wrappers do not provide a significant supportive function. The patent to Leibow discloses a packet for supporting a plurality of spoon-type utensils therein. Accordingly, the packet disclosed in Leibow is somewhat nonanalogous to the instant invention in which each utensil is included within its own protective sheath.
The utensils disclosed in the Welch, Leibow and Hogan patents are all manufactured completely separate and apart from their protective wrappers. Therefore, these packaged units are subject to the same processing deficiencies described earlier in connection with the formation of coated utensils which are manufactured completely separate and apart from their protective wrappers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,975 (Poncy) discloses the continuous formation of sterile packages including an outer protective member, and an inner hollow sheath that is removable from the protective member. The method disclosed in Poncy employs a laminate consisting of four layers of material, and requires heat sealing selected regions of the laminate together in order to simultaneously form the hollow sheath and protective member. The method disclosed in Poncy is somewhat nonanalogous to the method of the instant invention in which the utensil is provided by cutting a substrate, as opposed to laminating elements of a substrate together.